Toy electric train



May 5, 1959 w. R. MCLAIN 2,884,868

TOY ELECTRIC TRAIN Filed March 2, 1955 MISULA ED Z3 IN$ULATED nvsumn-a I 38 T17? Z y X I 2 T1 5 Z INVENTOR. VW/Ham RMcLa/H United States Patent TOY ELECTRIC TRAIN McLain, Nashville, Tenn., assignor to Kusan Incorporated, Nashville, Tenn.

William R.

This invention relates to toy electric trains and it consists in the constructions, arrangements and combinations herein described and claimed.

The cardinal object of the invention is the provision of a toy train so constructed and electrically wired as to permit the operation thereof, either upon a two or three rail trackway system, by a simple means of obtaining electrical current from the usual positive and negative rails or between a positive rail and a negative third rail for energizing the motor of the engine.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a toy electric train in which fore and aft trucks are employed, each including traction wheels, the fore truck having a pair of insulated wheels upon one side thereof adapted to traverse the positive rail of the trackage, the wheels upon the opposite side of the fore truck having metallic wheels for traversing a negative rail of the trackage; the aft truck having a pair of metallic wheels for traversing the positive rail of the trackage, the wheels upon the opposite side of the truck being insulated and traversing the negative rail, one of said trucks including a contact shoe adapted to traverse a third rail of the trackway, there being means on the engine for shifting the current through the motor of the train from the positive and negative outer rails to the third rail and vice versa.

It is a still further object of the invention to embody this principle of current distribution in the lighting of toy train systems.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will be apparent from the following description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein,

Figure l is a top plan view of a trackway embodying a third rail, with a toy train mounted upon the trackway, the train being shown partly in section.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic top plan view illustrating the electrical connections between the trucks of the engine, the third rail and the motor of the engine.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a modified form of a means for establishing and disconnecting engagement with a third rail of the trackway, and

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a wiring diagram embodying the same principle of current distribution in a lighting system of railway cars.

It should be understood, that the present construction of engine is intended for use upon a trackway embodying a pair of rails only, or upon a trackway having a pair of rails and a middle or third rail and for the sake of illustration a three rail trackway has been shown and described.

There is illustrated a trackway comprising a positive rail 11 and a negative rail 12 and a medially disposed center or third rail 13, all maintained in parallel relation by means of any suitable railway ties 14.

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An electric engine 15 is shown in Figure 1, which may be of any conventional construction, including a pair of spaced trucks 16 and 17. Upon the floor or other suitable position 18 ot' the train an electric motor 19 is suitably mounted, the drive between the motor and wheels of the trucks not being shown, since this is not essential to the understanding of the invention.

The truck 16, which may be considered as the fore truck, includes in the present instance, a pair of axles 20 upon one end of which are secured respective insulated wheels 21 adapted to traverse the positive rail 11. Upon the opposite ends of each of these axles a metallic wheel 22 is secured which ride upon the negative rail 12 of the trackway.

The truck 17 which is referred to as the aft truck is likewise provided with axles indicated at 23, having a metallic wheel 24 secured to one end of each of the axles, which wheels ride upon the positive rail 11. The opposite ends of the axles 23 have fixed thereto insulated wheels 25 in contact with the negative rail 12.

The circuits employed are clearly shown in Figure 2, wherein one side of the motor 19 is electrically connected to the axle 23 of the truck 17 by a lead 26. The other side of the motor is connected to a switch 27 which may be accessibly mounted upon the frame of the engine as indicated in Figure 1. The switch includes a lever 28 operable between a pair of electrical contacts 29 and 30. A contact shoe 31 carried by the truck 16 and in engagement with the center or third rail 13 is electrically connected to the contact 29 by means of a lead 32. The contact 30 is electrically connected to an axle of the truck by means of a lead 33.

According to the setting of the switch arm 28 the engine is arranged for operation from the center or third rail 13, the motor deriving current from the positive rail 11 through the metallic wheels 24 of the truck 17, it being noted that the insulated wheels 25 preventing establishment of a circuit with the rail 12. The circuit to the motor is completed through the lead 32 which is electrically connected to the contact shoe 31 which is in engagement with the center or third rail 13, which is the negative side of the circuit, the truck 16 being insulated from the positive rail by virtue of the insulated wheels 21.

In the event that the engine is to be operated upon trackage not embodying a center or third rail, the lever 28 is moved so as to engage the contact 30. Current will then pass from the metallic wheels 24 of the truck 17 to the motor, through the switch 27, the lead 33 to an axle 20 of the truck 16, the metallic wheels 22 to the negative rail 12.

The above described construction of engine will require insulated trackage and this may be accomplished by providing an insulating strip 34 beneath the positive track 11 and the center or third rail 13, which obviously would insulate rail 12.

While a switch 27 has been shown and described other means may be employed to produce the same results, a modification of the switch being shown in Figure 4. In this instance, the contact shoe 31' is spring-tension'ed as at 35 to maintain contact with the center or third rail 13. For disconnecting the contact shoe 31 when a two rail system is employed, a link 36 is pivotally connected to the shoe 31', but insulated therefrom as at 37. The body of the engine 15 may be formed with a bayonet slot 38 in which a right angular lever 39 may travel to elevate and retain the shoe 31' in a position out of contact with the center or third rail. Thus, only the rails 11 and 12 would be operative to energize the motor of the engine.

Obviously, the present conduction of current from a two or three rail system may be employed for lighting effects in electric toy trains and such an arrangement is shown in Figure 5. The circuits are identical to that aeeaaes 3. previously described with the exception that a light or lights 40 are substitute forthe motor 19.

While I have shown and described preferred forms of the invention, this is by way of illustration only, and I consider as my own all suchmodifications in construction as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Means for transmitting electrical energy from an electrified rail trackage comprising a positive rail, a negative rail and a medially disposed negative third rail, an electrical vehicle having fore and aft trucks including wheels adapted to traverse said positive and negative rails, the wheels of the fore truck traversing the positive rail being constructed of insulating material and the Wheels traversing the negative rail being constructed of current conducting material; said aft truck having current conducting wheels for traversing said positive rail and Wheels of insulating material for traversing said negative rail, one of said trucks having a contact shoe engageable with said third rail, an electrical motor carried by said elec 20 trical vehicle in circuit with one of said trucks, a pair of spaced contacts, one of said contacts being in electrical circuit with the other truck, and said contact shoe being in electrical circuit with said other contact and means selectively engageable between said contacts, said means being in electrical circuit with said motor.

2. The structure of claim 1, in which said means is a swtch device.

3. Means for transmitting electrical energy from an electrified rail trackage comprising a positive rail, a negative rail and a medially disposed negative third rail, an electrical vehicle having fore and aft trucks including wheels adapted to traverse said positive and negative rails, the wheels of the fore truck traversing the positive rail being constructed of insulating material and the wheels traversing the negative rail being constructed of current conducting material; said aft truck having current conducting wheels for traversing said positive rail and wheels of insulating material for traversing said negative rail, one of said trucks having a contact shoe engageable with said negative. third rail, a lighting circuit within said electrical vehicle in circuit with one of said trucks, a pair of spaced contacts, one of said contacts being in electrical circuit with the other truck and said contact shoe being in electrical circuit with said other contact and means selectively engageable between said contacts, said means being in circuit with said lighting circuit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 871,457 Thayer Nov. 19, 1907 1,327,215 Roe Jan. 6, 1920 1,644,346 Mignogne Oct. 4, 1927 1,682,353 Shean Aug. 28, 1928 1,813,560 Browne July 7, 1931 1,861,523 Clark June 7, 1932 2,276,645 Bonanno Mar. 17, 1942 2,685,844 Short et al. Aug. 10,. 1954 

